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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. Beijing is the ________________ of China.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. capital — money
  4. fall — to drop
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. staff — a stick
  7. current — of water
  8. fall — to drop
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. fall — the season
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. fork — in a road
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. staff — employees
  17. season — of the year
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. current — electric
  21. season — in sport
  22. staff — employees
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. capital — a city

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com